The Enigmatic Betty Cooper
by kay1993
Summary: Jughead wasn't sure when things had changed between him and Betty Cooper. When he was six, he was jealous of her friendship with Archie, and resented the way Betty followed his best friend around like a lost puppy as they all grew older. After the murder of Jason Blossom, things are no longer what they seem in Riverdale. Jughead's realizing there's more to her than he once thought.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own _Riverdale_ , the Archie comics, or any of their characters/plot lines. This is simply a work of fiction.

Jughead Jones remembered the first time he had ever laid eyes on the enigma that was Betty Cooper. Jughead could recall everything about that fateful day, the memory seared into his brain. Jughead remembered where he was standing, the color of Betty's dress, and the feeling of the aching knot that settled in his stomach at the realization that his best friend since before Kindergarten, Archie Andrews, had ditched him for a _girl_.

* * *

Jughead had just turned six years old, and he felt like his small world was slowly spiraling and careening out of control. His parents were constantly fighting with each other, shouting ugly words and throwing things at each other. It had quickly escalated to a level that was even worse than their usual bickering. This had been going on for months, and Jughead guessed that it wasn't going to end anytime soon. Jughead would take the liberty to make himself scarce during his parents' heated arguments. It was easier to imagine he could turn invisible, as he tried his best to blend in with the background. To not draw attention to himself as his pilfered through the kitchen for any food, and snuck out the back door without a word.

Once the door slammed behind him, Jughead wasted no time getting as far away from the small trailer that had always felt like a home to him, but was now beginning to take on a very crowded and chaotic atmosphere.

It was during one afternoon when his mom had called his dad a great number of unsavory names, that Jughead realized he liked to explore the town where he lived, Riverdale. His favorite spot by far was Pop's Chock-lit Shoppe, a local diner where he felt more at home than he once had at Sunnyside Trailer Park on the South Side, and where he had already a tab that grew larger with each passing day. He would tell the owner, Pop Tate that he'd become rich and famous one day and use the money to pay for all the French fries, milkshakes, and cheeseburgers he devoured on a nearly daily basis. The jolly man would always reply to the boy with a smile and booming laugh. He took pity on the young boy, who lived on the wrong side of the town, who had a father that even young Jughead was beginning to realize did not provide for his family in the most legitimate or legal of ways. Judging by the number of days his father spent leaving on his bike, only to return during the late hours of the early morning, along with the building tension in the tiny trailer, it was safe to assume Jughead's father was in business with bad people. Recently, Jughead had become more protective of his dad, worrying while he was gone, and hoping he wouldn't come home with any more cuts or bruises, end up in jail for another night, or not show up at all.

Another place Jughead really enjoyed going was the forest by Sweet Water River. Jughead especially liked walking by the stream when he was feeling anxious or upset. The quiet sounds of the running water and the nearby woods allowed Jughead to relax and clear his mind. Jughead liked coming to Sweet Water River best at night, when he could look up at the sky and gaze down at the reflections of the moon and constellations the stars made in the moving water.

One day, when his parents had got into an especially nasty fight and Jughead was feeling sorry for himself, he accidentally ventured into the middle of the North Side of Riverdale. The streets were quiet and still, lined with shiny cars parked in front of perfect houses. It was a stark contrast from the neighborhood where Jug was growing up. Hardly anyone had cars, and even if they did, it was safe to assume they were old, dirty, and constantly breaking down. The houses here seemed to be ten times the size of his trailer, and he couldn't hear anyone yelling inside as he passed by.

As he passed by, Jug imagined the lives of the people who could possible live in these large, beautiful homes. He pictured beautiful mothers, handsome fathers, and happy little girls and boys who spent their days playing with the other privileged children who happened to live on the right side of town. The families who lived in these North Side homes would probably take trips to the countryside or the beach or amusement parks during the summer, the mothers would pack neat little sandwiches into picnic baskets for their travels, and the fathers would drive their nice cars toward the direction of their journey. It was certainly a life Jughead had never known, and he was beginning to discover that he was probably destined never to be a part of.

Jughead walked down the street, head down and thumbs hooked into his belt loops, not paying any attention to where he was going because he knew in his heart that he didn't belong anywhere. He didn't want to belong to Sunnyside Trailer Park, with the barking dogs, screaming children, and parents who yelled and fought inside cramped trailers. He certainly did not belong here on the North Side. Not in this place that looked too clean and too put together for the likes of someone like Jughead Jones III. It was during this particularly lonely moment when Jughead was too consumed with self-pity that he bumped into a body similar in size to his own.

Jughead looked into the eyes of his would-be best friend, Archie Andrews, apologizing for his clumsiness, and trying to flee from this embarrassing situation as quickly as possible. Surely this North Sider would recognize that Jughead belonged somewhere far from here, and would demand he leave this instant. The redheaded boy didn't seem to be having any of that, however, as he jutted out his right hand, smiled, and looked at Jughead expectantly. Jug immediately realized this kid wanted a handshake for some reason, and as Jughead complied and introduced himself, he found himself face to face with the most compassionate person he had met to date, other than the generous Chock-lit Shoppe owner.

* * *

Yesterday, Jughead had decided to pay Archie a visit to escape the mess that was his dysfunctional home life. Jughead had already been to Pop's for a few hours, and decided to see if Archie wanted to play for a few more before Jughead had to head back to the South Side. He couldn't run away forever.

Jughead knocked on Archie's front door and waited for his redheaded friend to appear on the other side. The door opened, and revealed Archie's dad, Fred Andrews, who smiled down at Jughead.

"Hi son. How's it going?"

The sides of Jughead's mouth turned up into a smile. He really liked Mr. Andrews. He was a great father to Archie, and best of all, he allowed Jughead to come and go from the Andrews' home as much as the boy pleased. Archie had a really great mom too. She embraced Jughead with the same kindness as her husband, and she made really great cookies too. Mrs. Andrews always let Jughead know he was welcome for dinner anytime. It made Jughead happy to know that even if _his_ family was falling apart, that the Andrews could serve as his surrogate family from time to time.

"Hey, Mr. Andrews. I'm all right. Is Archie home?" Jughead was always one to get right to the point.

Fred laughed and shook his head as he told Jughead that Archie and his mom had just left for football practice. Archie had told Jughead about it the day before, but he must have forgot in his haste to get out of the trailer. Jughead felt a stab of disappointment in his stomach, wishing he had somewhere to be right now. A place where he belonged.

Fred let him know that Archie would be home tomorrow, and that he would let his son know that Jughead had stopped by. Jug left, thanking Mr. Andrews and letting him know he'd see him around. Jughead hooked his thumbs into the belt loops on his pants, as he began his journey home. He would just have to go home a little earlier today. Jughead hoped his dad had already left on his motorcycle, that way the trailer would at least be quiet for a few hours.

Jughead had a very large imagination. Sometimes he would imagine his family doing normal things that kids on the North Side probably got to experience. Doing things like Archie's family did. Like his mom driving him to a sport practice after dinner, or his dad throwing a ball in the yard with him. Jughead yearned for normalcy, for a close relationship to his parents. But mostly, Jughead just wanted them to make each other happy again. He wasn't sure why or when they had stopped.

* * *

The next day, Jug woke up and got dressed in a hurry. His parents had been up most of the night arguing, which had deemed it impossible for the six-year-old to fall asleep at a reasonable hour. From what Jughead could make out, his dad had gotten home late, and his mom had wanted to go somewhere. His dad had promised her. Jughead may be young, but he knew promises were special. Sacred. Especially a pinky promise. He hoped his dad wasn't the kind of person to break a pinky promise.

His parents had finally fallen asleep early in the morning. It gave Jughead a few hours of peace where he could try to go to bed. Jughead woke up with the sunlight as it streamed through the gaps in his blinds and flooded his room with its warmth. There were only a few more weeks of summer vacation left, and Jughead planned to take advantage of the freedom. He and Archie would be entering first grade this year, and he hoped they would still be in the same class together. Having Archie around was like having an anchor to keep him from sinking.

Jughead pulled his beany cap down over his inky hair, the crown-shaped hat a reminder of the nickname his dad had given him so long ago. His little prince. Jughead wondered if that made his father the king, and what he was king of. Adjusting the finishing touch on his head, Jughead walked out of his bedroom, and went to the kitchen in the hopes of finding something suitable for breakfast. Today was a particularly lucky day, because he found a single Pop Tart left in the cupboard, and there were still a couple mouthfuls of milk left in the carton. Jughead pulled the milk into his mouth, wiped his face on his sleeve when he was all done, and placed the empty carton in the garbage on his way out the backdoor. Luckily, both his parents were still asleep and things were quiet inside the trailer. Maybe today wouldn't be so bad. Maybe today was the day when things got fixed and went back to normal again.

Jughead decided to skip Pop's this morning, and that he would ask Archie's mom if it was okay to stay for lunch and maybe even dinner. Even though Jughead knew these arrangements came with no strings attached, he still did not like feeling as if he owed people something or that he was over-staying his welcome. Even people as generous as Pop or the Andrews family.

Jug rounded the corner on Archie's street, and wondering what sorts of games they would play today. Lately Archie loved talking about his football practice, and would try to show his friend some of the plays he learned. Jughead would pay attention and liked to listen to Archie speak about something he enjoyed so much, but really had no interest in sports. Jughead was more of a pretend play sort of kid right now. He and Archie would compromise, and would role-play as pirates, astronauts, cowboys, cops, super heroes, and anything else they could imagine in the Andrews' backyard if Jug agreed to listen about football practice. Recently, Archie had received a guitar for a birthday present and had started taking lessons on some of the days he didn't have football practice. Jughead was eager to see what Archie had learned.

Jughead finally reached the Andrews' home, and knocked on the front door. Most kids his age would be embarrassed to knock on someone's door, but Jughead Jones didn't mind. Especially if that meant escaping his chaotic life for a few hours every now and then. Mrs. Andrews opened the door, and asked Jughead if he wanted a bagel, to which he obliged. Archie's mom led him to the kitchen, and popped an Everything Bagel into the toaster.

"How's it going today, Jug?" Mrs. Andrews asked the small boy.

"The sun is out and there's still a few more weeks of summer vacation. Seems like it's going to be a great day." Archie's mom smiled at Jughead. She was fully aware that Jughead was from a completely different world than her son. Mrs. Andrews hoped that she could provide enough love and support for this child without stepping on anyone's toes, and that her family's kindness would impact this boy in a positive way somehow.

The toaster pushed Jughead's bagel up, and Mrs. Andrews wasted no time grabbing it and spreading butter on the warm treat before pushing it toward Jughead. He smiled and thanked his best friend's mom, asking her where he could find Archie.

Jughead walked toward the backdoor of the Andrews' home, munching on his second breakfast, and opened the door to find out what Archie was up to. What happened next unfolded like a movie.

Immediately, Jughead could sense that Archie was not alone. He heard the ginger boy talking and laughing, and Archie was not one to talk to himself. Suddenly, he saw two bodies approaching him rapidly, realizing that Archie was engaged in a game of tag with someone. It sort of hurt Jughead that he made plans to play with his best friend, which he was also using as an escape from his chaos, and that Archie was too preoccupied with someone else to even notice that Jughead had arrived in his back doorway like he had so many times before.

As the figures came closer, Jughead felt an aching knot that settled in his stomach as he realized Archie Andrews had ditched him for a _girl_. Archie and Jughead had many conversations that ended in the agreement that girls were weird, gross, and annoying. Sweet Water River could freeze over before either of them would engage in any sort of interaction with a _girl._ And yet, here they were.

Said girl had a short, blonde ponytail that bounced as she ran from the redhead. She had a smile plastered on her face, along with a determined look in her eyes. One that screamed, _You can't catch me!_ Jughead felt himself feeling sort of impressed at how fast this girl could run, especially when she was outrunning his friend who played football, but then he shoved that feeling aside. _Nobody plays with girls,_ he thought in disgust.

The girl wore a pink dress, and not the bright obnoxious pink that Jughead couldn't stand. No, this was more of a pink like the cotton candy you could find at the annual Riverdale Summer Carnival. Jughead couldn't help but notice that the color of her dress matched the blush that was rising on this blonde girl's cheeks, flushing her face while she was caught up in her game with Archie.

Speaking of his best friend, Jughead shook his head to rid himself of the distraction this girl created as he called out to Archie.

Archie stopped in his tracks, and changed his direction to run full force at Jughead. The girl's head turned to see what had happened, and why the game of tag was being delayed.

"Hey, Jug." Archie panted.

"Hey, yourself," Jughead spat, a small amount of jealousy leaking into his speech. "Who is _that_?"

Archie was a little slow to catch onto things, but he wasn't an idiot. He knew that Jug was upset that there was someone else present in the backyard. He cleared his throat and answered his dark haired friend.

"Jug, this is my friend, Betty. Betty Cooper. She lives next door to me."

Hearing those words did a number on Jughead Jones. His best friend lived next to a _girl_ that he actually enjoyed spending time with.

Just then, said girl bounded over to the two boys, smiling at Archie, and shyly gazing at Jughead. She waved "hello" to the new boy, and invited him to join their game of tag.

Instead of returning her sentiments, Jughead quickly made up a poor attempt of an excuse and turned to exit out of the front door he had walked through minutes ago. Jug ran as fast as his feet would carry him after he made it outside the Andrews' home. He didn't even have the heart to look his best friend in the eye as he muttered barely above his breath. He wouldn't be surprised if Archie hadn't even heard what he said.

But Jughead didn't care, because he was too busy running. Running away from all the places he didn't belong to anymore. He didn't belong at home, where his parents didn't even seem to love each other, let alone him anymore. He didn't belong at the Chock-lit Shoppe, because he couldn't pay his tab like a normal person. And now he certainly didn't belong at the Andrews' household, though he still considered Archie his closest friend, because he had been replaced with a pretty girl by the name of Betty Cooper, who Jughead Jones knew he couldn't compete with.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

 **Author's Note: I plan to update this story at least once a week, but I was too excited and decided to write more. Hope you like it!**

 **Disclaimer:** Once again, I do not own _Riverdale_ , the _Archie_ comics, or any of their characters/plot lines. This is simply a work of fiction for your enjoyment, and mine.

It had been weeks since the beginning of first grade, and Jughead was torn. On one hand, he had gotten his wish. Archie Andrews, his best friend, was in his class again this year. It was a huge relief to Jughead to have some form of support in his life. However, Jughead was incredibly disappointed that he had to share his time with Archie, because a certain girl next door was also in their class.

* * *

Jughead groaned as he woke up. It was always the same. It started with the sound of his dad's motorcycle screeching to a halt in the driveway. This was followed by the thudding cadence of heavy boots walking up to the trailer door, which would slam shut behind his dad as he entered the trailer. This would effectively wake Jughead, who would sit up in bed, rub his eyes, and fall into the routine of getting ready for school.

Jughead's mom, Gladys Jones, sat at the kitchen table with a cigarette in her mouth, and a cup of coffee steaming in front of her. His mom wasn't sleeping much at night, which explained why she seemed to completely ignore her son as he entered the room. Jughead was incredibly adaptable by nature. That was the way he survived. He knew the drill by now, and silently crept through the kitchen to the fridge, where he pulled out a brown paper bag that held his lunch inside. It was one of the few gestures of affection Gladys was capable of performing lately. Jughead passed by his mother, lightly kissing her on the head, and walked out the back door.

He wished Archie lived closer so that they could walk to school together. Jughead supposed he could wake up earlier, but quickly dispelled this thought for the sake of getting a few extra minutes of sleep. The knot that formed in his stomach anytime he thought of Archie spending time with _her_ was rearing its ugly head again. No matter how much he tried not to let it bother him, Jughead was jealous of the Cooper girl. She lived right next to his best friend, and seemed to spend all the time in the world with the redheaded boy.

It didn't help that they walked to and from school together, played together, and could even see into each other's bedrooms. The seating arrangement at school served as another way to annoy the boy. Their teacher chose to seat everyone in alphabetical order, so Archie Andrews and Betty Cooper were assigned to sit next to each other, while Jughead was a few rows back, between Josie McCoy and Kevin Keller. Jughead Jones was cynical for his age, and supposed it was ironic for a kid who lived in a trailer park was caught between the PTA president's daughter and a cop's son.

Lunch was a nice reprieve in the middle of the day and served as a way to break up the mundane routine of school. There were no assigned seats at lunch, so Jughead was finally able to spend some time with his friend, but unfortunately that meant Betty was also bound to be there. And if Betty was around, that meant Kevin was also nearby. Sometimes Betty and Kevin would get lost in their own conversation, which meant Jughead didn't have to share Archie's attention for a short while. They also played together during recess, a time when it was the general consensus among the kids in his class that boys and girls playing together was _weird._ Jughead still had to share Archie, because Kevin only felt comfortable around the two of them.

Jughead could honestly say he didn't mind Kevin that much. It was Betty who annoyed him to no end. She stood for everything that was opposite of him. For everything he would never be able to have. The perfect blonde ponytail that adorned her head clashed with his inky black hair topped with the crown beany he wore at all times. She wore crisp, clean clothes – no, _dresses_ – and pretty little shoes, while he sported dark tee shirts, worn and faded jeans, and dirty black boots on his feet. She was sunshine and happiness and rainbows and puppy dogs. She was light, pink perfection.

Jughead Jones was darkness, bred from parents who didn't love each other anymore. He was South Side trash, forsaken to a life on the wrong side of town. Far away from the glow of Betty Copper, the perfect girl next door, and Archie Andrew's _other_ best friend.

* * *

Walking home after school wasn't so bad, because Jughead could walk part of the way home with Archie. That also meant that Betty was in tow, being Archie's next-door neighbor and all. Kevin also tagged along, because he lived a few houses down from them.

"Do you want to stay over for dinner, Jug?" Archie asked his friend after they dropped Kevin off. Betty's blue eyes darting between the pair, and Jughead tried to swallow the embarrassment that bubbled up his throat. He didn't need pity from anyone, especially _her._ Still though, a meal at the Andrews' home was better than no meal at all, or having to put another cheeseburger on his tab at Pop's. Jughead agreed, but only after they dropped Betty off next door.

* * *

The next day was Friday, and it passed by slowly as the weekend loomed teasingly overhead. Jughead and Archie had plans to have a campout in Archie's back yard. Fred Andrews was an avid outdoorsman before he got bogged down by the construction company he owned and ran independently. He had plenty of tents, sleeping bags, flashlights, and other equipment the boys would need for the weekend. Jughead was looking forward to having some uninterrupted time with his best friend. It would be just like before Betty came into the picture.

Finally the lunch bell rang, and the class lined up to walk to the cafeteria. Jughead squeezed himself up in the front behind Archie, and the two talked about the upcoming weekend as they filed into the lunch line.

"Hey Jug, I was kind of wondering if Kevin could come over too? My dad told his dad about it, and my mom says Kevin doesn't have a lot of friends."

Jughead thought about it for a moment, and conceded, feeling bad for Officer Keller's son. Before Jughead had bumped into Archie, he had known what it was like to go it alone.

"Sure thing, Arch."

"Thanks dude!" Archie smiled. "I'll ask Kevin at recess."

Jughead thought that was for the best, because he didn't want Betty to catch wind of their weekend plans. He walked through the lunch line with his best friend, choosing which fruit and vegetable he wanted with his chicken patty sandwich. Jughead grabbed a chocolate milk and took his tray over to their usual spot at the lunch table. Having Kevin tag along certainly changed the dynamic of the weekend, but Jughead was still looking forward to it nonetheless.

* * *

It was during the walk home that things got complicated. It was the same as any other day, Archie and Jughead walking down the sidewalk with Betty and Kevin following along behind them. Jughead was in the middle of explaining something to Archie, when Betty chimed in.

"What are you guys doing this weekend?"

Jughead and Archie glanced at each other. They hadn't anticipated they would have to reveal their plans to Betty. It was obvious why Jughead didn't want her around, and Archie sensed this, so he didn't push the issue. What they hadn't expected was Kevin to divulge the subject, exposing the plans they had made without her.

Archie, not wanting to hurt his new friend, decided to hesitantly extend an invitation to her.

"Arch," Jughead piped in, "I thought we said this was going to be a guy's only weekend?"

Archie swallowed. He didn't want to disappoint either of his best friends. He just looked at Jughead. Jughead turned to Betty.

"You're a girl! And girls aren't invited to guys only weekend. Rules are rules." Jughead's word seemed final. He looked to Archie, then to Kevin, and back to Archie. He purposefully avoided the pair of blue eyes that belonged to Betty.

A hush settled upon the group, no one knowing what to say next. Jughead felt slightly awkward at the tension, but justified in his actions. Surprisingly, it was the blonde who broke the silence. She raised her head slightly, not meeting any of the boys' eyes, and spoke in a quiet voice.

"I hope you guys have a good time this weekend. Sorry for inviting myself."

Betty's voice broke a little at the end of her sentence, a fact not lost on Jughead, Archie, or Kevin. Betty broke away from the group after that, turning to walk the rest of the way home as she held herself around the middle. Jughead tried to ignore the tear he watched fall from her face down onto the pavement below, wetting it with a tiny drop.

Kevin took off after Betty, and Jughead was left standing there with Archie and the damp spot Betty's tear had made.

"She just wants to be friends, Jug. You should give Betty a chance." Archie took a step forward, continuing their walk home. Jughead fell in stride beside his friend, trying to push his feelings of regret aside. He wondered if Kevin would still come tonight.

* * *

About an hour later, Jughead was standing in the kitchen with Mrs. Andrews, as she put the final touches on snacks for the campout. Archie was in the garage with his dad getting all the equipment they would need for their weekend. Jughead was about to take a bite out of the trail mix Archie's mom had made, when there was a knock on the door.

"Jug, would you be able to get that for me?" Mrs. Andrews asked as she looked around for another bowl to put the potato chips in.

"Sure thing," Jughead walked over to the door and opened it. He was surprised by who was on the other side.

Kevin stood there, with Betty standing behind him, not meeting Jughead's gaze. Jughead was confused about what _she_ was doing here.

"Hey Kev, we were wondering when you were going to show up!" Jughead opened the door wider to invite Kevin inside, but he didn't budge.

"I'm not here for the campout, Jughead. Betty has something she needs to give you and Archie." With that, Kevin stepped aside and nodded to Betty in a way that was meant to reassure the blonde. Betty stepped forward, still not meeting Jughead's green eyes, and handed him two small pink envelopes.

"Thanks," Jughead replied. "What are these for?" Betty gazed up at him shyly.

"It's my birthday," she said. Jughead didn't know what to say. He had no idea it was her birthday, and though his meant nothing to him, he knew other people liked to acknowledge and celebrate theirs.

"Shouldn't I be the one giving you a card then?" The boy asked her. "I didn't know it was your birthday."

"It's not my birthday yet. It's next week, September 13th. I'm having a party." It was Jughead's turn to drop his gaze. This was the second time in the last hour that he and Betty Cooper had shared an awkward moment. He wasn't sure how to respond.

"I was going to invite you and Archie, that is _if_ you even wanted to come. With me being a girl and all." There was a slight edge to her tone. They met each other's gaze for the first time, and Jughead noticed how red her eyes were. She must have cried even after she got home. Jughead knew in that moment that he had hurt Betty Cooper. He suddenly felt like a monster for what he had said.

Jughead came to realize something. He loved Archie like a brother. He was his best friend. Jughead knew he would do anything for his ginger friend, and that Archie felt the same way about him. If Jughead was going to be friends with Archie, he had to accept that Betty came as a package deal. And that Kevin was probably going to be included most times as well. If he was going to be spending his time with the girl next door, he should at least try to tolerate her for Archie's sake.

"We'll be there," Jughead answered, swallowing his pride. This brought a smile to the blonde's face. Kevin seemed pleased as well. "Why don't you guys come in? Archie and his dad are setting up the tent in the back."

Betty's face broke out into a huge, dazzling smile and she grabbed Kevin's hand, pulling him across the Andrews' threshold. Jughead led the way to the back yard. Archie looked surprised, but was happy to have more of his friends over to partake in the weekend festivities.

* * *

The four friends spent the evening munching on the snacks Mrs. Andrews had prepared, roasting marshmallows, and getting to know each other as if it were the first time they had met. Jughead had learned some interesting things about the people who were sitting in the tent with him. For starters, he found out Archie could already play a few chords on his guitar and that his lessons were going really well. Kevin shared that he wasn't really a sports kind of guy like Jughead, but that he did enjoy music like Archie. And Jughead found out that the perfect girl next door told really great scary stories. He wondered if she had heard them somewhere before or if she was imaginative enough to invent them herself.

Throughout the night, Jughead realized that Betty wasn't actually so bad. Once you got over her goody two shoes demeanor, you saw that underneath was a very compassionate, fierce girl who would do anything for her friends. That spark and loyalty was something that Jughead found he sort of admired about her.

After stuffing themselves full of graham crackers, chocolate, and burnt marshmallows, the four friends just sat and stared into the fire. The blonde girl sat across from Jughead, and he watched her gaze at the flames. She laughed as she listened to Archie tell a story about football. It was easy between the pair, just like it was always easy between him and Archie. It was through the flames of the fire that Jughead Jones saw Betty Cooper in a different light, no longer simply viewing her as the perfect girl who lived next to his best friend.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello all! Thank you for checking out my story and making it to the second chapter. I've been reading fanfiction for years, but have never really tried writing any myself before. This is my very first story, so be sure to leave your reviews and stick around to see what happens!**

 **I plan to speed things up in the chapters to come, I just really wanted to establish Jughead's voice and get the exposition set up nicely. Here are some things to consider given the character's ages (they are six or are turning six at the time of chapters 1 and 2) and what we know is going on in Riverdale on the show, which serves as present day for this fanfic.**

 **First, Jughead does not know that FP is involved with the Serpents, much less that he is their king. Jellybean is not around yet because she is currently 10 or 11 in the show, making about her 6 years younger than Jughead. She will make an appearance soon.**

 **Josie's mom is not the mayor yet, but I wanted to showcase that she is a leader and involved in politics at the school. Kevin's dad is also not the sheriff yet, but he is on the force.**

 **That's about all I can think of. Please let me know what you all think of this story so far. It's going to be a slow burn for sure, but I plan to get to plotlines from the show soon.**

 **Thank you!**


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